Clamp for mail-cranes.



Patented Feb. 27, I900.

E. F. CAPLEY.

CLAMP FOR MAIL CRANES.

(Application filed June 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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NlTED STATES PATENT Erica.

CLAMP FOR MAlL-CRANES.

SIECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,319, dated February27, 1900.

Application filed June 26,1899.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMETT F. CAPLEY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Aspenhill, in the county of Giles and State ofTennessee, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Clampsfor Mail-Cranes, of which the following is a specification.

, The object of my invention is to provide a clamp which is adapted tosecurely attach a mail-pouch to a mail-crane and to hold the same inposition to be engaged by the mailcollecting apparatus of a mail-car andat the same time to permit the said apparatus to readily disengage themail sack or pouch from the clamp as the train passes the station wherethe crane is located and avoid all danger of tearing or inj uringthepouch when detaching it from the crane.

To this end my invention consists in the peculiar construction andcombination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafterand particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of one of myimproved clamps. Fig. 2 is an elevation on a reduced scale, showing amail-crane provided with a pair of my improved clamps in position forholding a mailpouch.

A B represent the jaws of one of my improved mail-clamps, which jaws arepivoted together bya bolt or pin C in alined'openings in ears or lugs tob, with which the jaws A B are respectively provided. The engaging endsof the jaws are globular in form, as at a b, and the opposite ends ofthe said jaws are extended for a suitable distance beyond the pivot andshaped to form the handles or levers D. A stud, bolt, or pin E is fittedin an opening F near the engaging end of the jaw B, and a tension-bolt Gis feathered or splined in a similar opening H near the engaging end ofthe jaw A andis provided at its outer extremity with a tension-nut I,which is provided with a handle or lever K, by means of which it may bereadily turned. A coiled retractile spring L has its extremitiesattached to the inner ends of the stud E and tension-bolt F and servesto normally draw the jaws toward each other and keep their engaging endsin contact with each other, as will be readily understood, and by meansof the tension bolt Serial No. 721,878. (No model.)

and nut the tension of the said spring can be regulated at will. Abracket-arm M, which is adapted to be bolted to one of the arms of amail-crane such as are now in common use and as shown in Fig. 2, has itsouter end swiveled or pivoted in an opening N in the member B, a nut Oand pin P being employed to retain the clamp on the said bracket, whilepermitting the clamp to swing freely thereon.

In the manufacture of my improved clamp I propose to make the same ofiron, steel, or other suitable material, and the spring shouldpreferably be made of brass to prevent rusting from eizposure to theweather.

In operation two of my improved clamps are employed and are attached tothe mailcrane, as shownin Fig. 2, the globular en gaging ends of thejaws of the clamps being engaged with the rings 00,with which themailpouch y is provided, as is usual. The clamps being supported oneabove the other at a suitable distance apart and permitted to playfreely on the ends of the bracket-arms, the mail-pouch is held inposition to be engaged by the collecting apparatus of a mail-car as thelatter passes the station. The arm of the said mail collecting apparatuswill strike about the middle of the mail-pouch, and as the latter issupported at both extremities by the mail-clamps and the latter are freeto play or oscillate on their pivots the mail-pouch will double upon thearm of the mail-collecting apparatus, and as the car moves the pouchwill be pulled from the clamps, the rings at the extremities of thepouch slipping from between the globular ends of the jaws of the clamps,as will be readily understood.

By making the ends of the jaws globular in form all danger of the pouchbecoming hung to the clamps will be avoided and there will be noprobability of the pouch becoming torn while being detached from thecrane. The tension-springs can be adjusted as may be necessary to holdthe mail-pouch during the prevalence of high winds and at the same timepermit the pouch to be readily detached from the crane by a passingmail-car.

Having thus described I my invention, I claim- 1. The mail-pouch clamp,comprising the two members pivoted together, and having the jaws at oneend with the globular engaging extremities, the handles at the oppositeends of the members, the spring to normally keep the globular ends ofthe jaws in engagement with each other, and the bracket-arm, to whichone of the members is pivoted or swiveled, said bracket-arm beingadapted to be bolted or otherwise secured to the arm of a mail-crane,substantially as described.

2. In a mail-pouch clamp, the combination of the pivoted jaws A, B,having the engaging ends a, b, and the handles D, with the spring L,stud E and tension-bolt G, substantially as described.

3. The bracket-arm M, having the pin 0, in combination with themail-pouch clamp comprising the pivoted jaws A, B, having the engagingends a, b, the handles D, and the spring and tension devices, one ofsaid jaws being pivoted on the pin 0, as at N, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto attached mysignature, at Aspenhill, Giles cou nty, Tennessee, this 18th day of May,1899, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMMETT F. OAPLEY.

Vitnesses:

WALTER S. Foes, SAMUEL B. RITTENBERRY.

